Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)

"WHAT IS DSA?" If you are an undergraduate or post-graduate student with a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty which affects your study, you may be eligible for DSA. It is a government grant that can be used to pay for things such as special equipment, a note-taker, transport costs or any other support that you could need because of your disability or health condition. "WHAT CAN DSA PAY FOR?"Your individual needs will determine the support you get. It is paid on top of your student finance, it is not assessed on income and you do not have to pay it back. The amount awarded to part-time students can vary depending on your ‘course intensity’. The types of things you can get help with are:

Specialist equipment,

Non-medical helpers e.g. note-taker,

Extra travel costs that you have to pay because of your disability or health condition and/or

Other ancillary costs such as photocopying.

DSA does not cover any disability related costs that you would have if you were not attending a course and it does not cover any costs that any student would have. "HOW MUCH WILL I GET?" In the 2014-15 academic year, the total allowance for specialist equipment for full time students is up to £5,212 for the entire course. The total allowance for non-medical helpers is up to £20,725 a year and the general allowance is up to £1,741 a year. For part-time students, the total allowance for specialist equipment is up to £5,212 for the whole course, the total allowance for non-medical helpers is up to £15,543 a year and the general allowance is up to £1,305 a year. Postgraduate students can get a single allowance of up to £10,362 a year. These figures are the maximum allowance that it is possible to get, most students get less. "WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR DSA?" You may be eligible for DSA if you have a:

Disability or long term health condition,

Mental health condition and/or

Learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia.

You must:

Be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including long distance and Open University courses),

Have a condition that affects your ability to study,

Be able to qualify for student finance from Student Finance England (SFE) and

Be studying on a course that lasts at least one year.

You won’t be eligible for DSA from SFE if you are either an EU student, eligible for an NHS Disabled Students Allowance (as this is a separate scheme), or already getting equivalent support from another source of funding e.g. a social work bursary. "HOW DO I APPLY FOR DSA?"

A form is filled in and sent to SFE, this form can be found on the government website or on the SFE website.

This information is meant to be helpful but Douglas Silas Solicitors cannot be responsible for any loss caused by reliance upon it. If you have concerns about your child, please seek professional educational/healthcare advice. Should you find anything which you believe to be inaccurate please Contact Us as soon as possible.